Bolt's Soul Chronicles Book 4: Mists in the Graveyard
by cloudsword
Summary: The last book in the Soul Chronicles series. Bolt and Mittens team up with the new Tarnildra, tracking and trying to defeat Nightmare. But the monster has a plan, and Dark Bolt won't make it easy. Does the darkness in Bolt's heart have a plan for him as well? Or is there something that only he knows? Read and Review!
1. Chapter 1 Practice

**Soul Chronicles: Mists in the Graveyard**

**This is the fourth and final book in the sequel to my Warrior's Soul books. I however do not own Bolt or any of its characters, Disney does!**

**Narration:**

It's not easy losing someone close to you. The sting in your heart is almost unbearable and your chest tightens to the point you can't breathe. There's always an empty hole in your soul, waiting for that person to fill it again. But they never do. I've experience it before, a few of my friends died when I first got my powers. Watching them die is even harder, because you always tell yourself there was something you could have done. Something different you could have done for them. When they die in war, it can leave mixed feelings like pride and sorrow. I know, I've seen it. I'm a white American Shepherd dog with super powers, a nagging dark side and a black patch of fur in the shape of my name…

**Chapter 1 – Practice**

"Bolt look out!" Mittens, the black tuxedo cat with claws made from lightning bolt, called out as she dodged another fireball. Bolt was now an elemental dog, his body made from pure electricity as he swerved around the forest. He dodged quickly, moving from the spot he was at and ran into another fireball he hadn't seen. "_Oh yah! Watch out above you!_" a voice similar to his own said from inside his mind as he tumbled back to the ground. "Thanks Dark Bolt, that helps a lot!" he retorted. "_You're welcome!_" the voice said with a dark humor. Bolt rolled his eyes, at least the eyes he had. White light flames shined through the holes where they were supposed to be. With a quick bounce off of the ground, he sped across the field, pulling the pedals off of flowers as he closed in on the target. A Neutrosian cloaked in a red hooded robe with a staff in his hands and reached forward launching a fireball form his palm. Another came in, launching several at once, and a third stayed behind holding his staff in the air, a pulse of red heated energy spreading from the tip and outward. Bolt zoomed towards the first one, dodging his attack before jumping up and ramming his head into the Spellcaster. Instead of hitting Bolt, the other fireballs collided with the Neutrosian, incinerating him completely. Bolt lifted high into the air with his jump, and came down quickly, slamming into the ground and spreading himself across it, surging through the next mage as the last one jumped into the air to avoid him. The Neutrosian collapsed to the ground as Bolt pulled himself back together, his staff still held up high. With a swift strike, his slammed the tip of his wand to the ground, spreading a large wave of fire across the grass and burning it to cinders. Bolt jumped, finding Mittens, his wife, close by as she used her wind claws to hover in place next to him. "The air is heating up!" she said, "We have to stop the spell!"

"I got it!" Bolt said, and dashed off toward the wave. The second it touched him, it faded, leaving nothing but faded metal walls where the trees and sky used to be, with an identical floor instead of burnt grass. Bolt looked around, finding himself back in the training dome. "Does that mean we won?" he asked, only to hear Dark Bolt sight disappointedly inside his head. "No Bolt!" Mittens told him as she floated down next to him, "It means you died!"

"Huh?" he asked. "Fire that hot has a natural heat shield that deflects electricity and disperses it!" his wife told him as she nearly touched his nose in anger. "Oh!" he said in embarrassment. "_Smooth move stupid!_" Dark Bolt said, and Bolt turned his eyes to the top of his head, "You didn't know that either!" he said. "_I figured it out faster than you did!_" Dark Bolt told him. "Would you two stop arguing!" the cat finally said, "It's because you two can't get along that you can't get this Elemental thing right!"

"He started it!" Bolt said. "Bolt," Mittens began, "Just don't!" Dark Bolt began snickering as he simply watched as the magical cat told her husband off. "Dark Bolt just does it because he's board!" she said, "While he's locked inside your mind he can't do anything."

"_I can too!_" Dark Bolt interjected. "All you have to do is ignore him and he'll stop teasing you, it's just like ignoring those squirrels back at…" she said, and lowered her ears in sadness. "_Home?_" Dark Bolt asked with indignity. "Yah!" Bolt said solemnly, "Home!" Dark Bolt scoffed, "_Pansies!_" he said. Bolt actually ignored him, keeping the solemn moment with his wife. "_Hey! Let's try that again!_" Dark Bolt asked, and Bolt faded back into the white shepherd he was. "_Damnit!_" Dark Bolt cursed. "Let's call it a day!" Bolt said softly to her. Mittens nodded, smiling gently with sadness behind it. "Yah, let's!" she agreed. "_Ah shit!_" Dark Bolt said as he decided to just give it up, "_I'm gonna have to be as annoying as possible huh?_" A few seconds passed by and he finally spoke up again, "_Hey do you think our wife would enjoy it if we both…_" he began and Bolt interrupted him. "If you finish that sentence I swear I'm gonna come in there and hurt you!" the white shepherd said. "_Oh yah?_" Dark Bolt finally said with aggression, "_Why don't you come in here and try it hot shot?_"

"Is Dark Bolt trying to taunt you into a fight again?" Mittens asked. "Yes!" he said. Before Dark Bolt could even respond, Mittens glanced into Bolt's eyes angrily, "Dark Bolt!" she said, "Stop it right now or I will come in there and neuter you myself!" Mittens turned away and began to walk, her frustration with her husband's darkness finally starting to anger her. "_Oh yah sure!_" Dark Bolt said, "_I'd like to see that! Bring it…_"

"She'll do it!" was all Bolt said, and Dark Bolt finally stopped, thinking about the consequences. "_NEEENGGG, fine!_" he said in defeat. Bolt followed his wife, trailing behind her as he let the pride of shutting his darkness up make him smile.

Savage stirred in her bed, letting the dreams that ran through her mind ease her worries away. Her white furry wings folded across the grey blue covers of her bed as she slept, the small smile on her face told of happy dreams. Suddenly a hand gently placed itself on her back, rubbing the skin between her wings. She smiled even bigger, and breathed deep as she woke from her sleep, "Morning!" she said as she stretched, her eyes opening as she stretched her arms out. "It's not morning!" the man said, "It's almost four o'clock in the evening!" Savage smiled as she placed her arms under her pillow, "Wanna waist the rest of the day with me Dustin?" she asked. Dustin smiled brightly, his hair pulled over to one side as the middle wanted to lift up from his head, "Not really, I just want something to eat!" he said, and lifted a light green shirt over his head, sliding it on and covering his chest. Savage frowned a bit, but her stomach interrupted her with one of the loudest growls she had ever heard, "I guess I'll need something to eat as well!" she said, "Can you bring me back some meat and…oh what were they?"

"Potatoes?" Dustin asked. "Yah!" Savage said, "I like those!"

"You're coming with me!" he finally said, and dove into her drawers. "You have to get out of this damn room or you'll never move forward!"

"Move…forward?" she asked as he tossed her unmentionables to her. He shut the drawer and opened the one beneath it, "Yah, move forward!" he told her as he pulled out a blouse with the back designed for her wings. It was made with thin grey fabric and bowed low at the chest, a single rose but decorating the shoulder. "It means to…" he began, and was interrupted by Savage when she stood up, her underwear in place. "I know what it means, it's just scary!" she said as he tossed her the shirt. "Yah, I know." he said with respect, and reached into the drawer lower. He pulled out a pair of jeans for her, and tossed them on her bed when she slipped her shirt over her head. She spun around, allowing him to tie the strings below her wings. "Do I really have to go out there to move forward?" she asked. "You need to do a hell of a lot more than that!" Dustin told her, "We can't just stay here $%#&ing each other all day!"

"And why not?" she asked. "Because you need to get out Damnit! Stupid General threatened to kick the both of us out!" he told her, and turned. "You might want to put your pants on!" Savage said and Dustin looked down, he indeed was wearing his green shirt that Savage had said she didn't know what the design of it was, and his tightie whities. "Son of a $ %#&!" he swore and turned around looking for the missing jeans.

"I just don't understand it! Why do they call them hot **dogs** if the meat inside is pig? It just doesn't make any sense!" Savage heard a monkey say as they passed by the nurse walking the other way. "We're late for dinner!" Dustin said. "Nonsense!" Savage said, "I thought you said the kitchen was always open!"

"It is, but that doesn't mean we can't miss dinner!" he countered. "Oh!" Savage said. "Hey, you ok?" he asked. "I'm fine, really!" Savage said as she walked around the base. "Are you sure?" Dustin asked as he walked close to her, "You're not going to flip out and go crazy again are you?"

"I promise I'll keep myself in check!" she said with a smile, "I want to stay as much as you do!" Dustin quirked an eye brow, "But, what about that whole 'ruling a small house in the wood' thing?" he asked. "I can do that later, but for now, we need to stop Nightmare!" she said. "Why do we need to get involved with their stupid war?" Dustin asked. "Because if we don't destroy Nightmare, then there will be no house in the woods, because there won't be any woods!" she reasoned. "Ah, #%$&!" he swore, "I hate when you make sense!" Savage smiled brightly, as if something good had just happened. She turned to a set of swinging double doors, the insides were decorated with flat half moon pieces of metal, but nowhere could she find a handle. "Just push on the metal parts!" Dustin told her, "They swing both ways."

"That's just unheard of"" she told him nearly angry, until the mechanic with the snake came out, a large burrito in the snake's mouth as she gulped it down, "Chew it Chelsea!" he said as the snake swallowed. "What, you don't like my biiig lips?" she asked with her voice dripping with sexual intentions. Savage watched with wide eyes, not as the two of them passed her by, but as the two doors swung out, and then in, settling after the second pass. "You humans are ingenious!" she said, and Dustin smiled. The two of them entered into the cafeteria, rows of tables with bench stools attached lined the back while others standing stood in line near the front, waiting for their meal. "I told you we'd be $#%& late for dinner!" he said with grumpiness in his voice. "Do you really want me to flip out on you?" she asked. "I'll shut up!" was all he could say.

**End Chapter 1**


	2. Chapter 2 Retribution

**Chapter 2 - Retribution**

Savage made her way towards the line, the few people there talking with both their animals and others. "It's really strange!" Savage whispered to Dustin. "What is?" he whispered back. "I've never been able to understand animals before, what do I do?" she asked. "Nothing!" he told her, "Just talk like you're talking to another person!"

"And then I told her, 'Rat? Honey I'm a Mirkat'." they heard one of the animals say from in front of them, this one was obviously female by the sound of her voice. "Just try and remember that they might have a different sense of humor!" Dustin said. The doors opened again, making way for a pair of voices that Dustin thought Savage might not have been ready to hear, Bolt and Mittens talked with each other happily as they walked towards the line. "I still can't believe how much I have to learn. These Elementals aren't easy to do!" Bolt said to her. "I can tell," Mittens told him, "But you're getting the hang of it." Savage stiffened up a bit, her nerves stiffening her up as solid as a board as she listened to the two of them speak. She swallowed hard. Mittens turned just as she found herself in line, and stopped, "Oh!" she said and looked up to the alien feline girl. "Welcome back Savage!" Mittens said tentatively. "You ok?" Dustin said, and watched Savage take a deep calming breath, "Not really, but I'll try and manage!" she whispered back. With a quick spin, she faced them both courageously, with a large nervous smile, "Hi!" she said a bit more forcefully than she had planned. "You alright?" Bolt asked. Savage once again stiffened for a second, and then breathed again, "I'll be fine." she said, "It's going to take me some time before I can really get used to working with you!"

"Working with us?" Bolt asked as he turned to Mittens. His wife turned to him with the same confused look. "I'm going to grow and distribute Felarian weapons for Tarnildra." she explained. "Oh!" he said, "Will solders need special permission to carry them?" Savage was grateful for the question, it got her mind off of the memories of Dark Bolt and began teaching her the difference between the two, "They'll need to go through a rigorous training course before I give the ok!" she explained, remembering the course she had planned out. "Well, I'm glad we can count on you!" Mittens said. "Uh, yah!" Bolt said as he tentatively agreed, "Me too!" Savage felt a tap on her shoulder, and when she turned around, Dustin was urging her to move forward. With a slight nervous embarrassment, she began her short walk, Dustin leading her to the counter as she lifted her head. She was amazed at the food she saw; large ham slices, white gruel, vegetables of every kind on Earth, the burritos she saw the snake eating and the tubes of meat called hot dogs with the bread buns close by. She took a second glance down the spread, "Where are the potatoes?" she asked. Dustin rolled his eyes and pointed to the white gruel, "Mashed potatoes!" he said and moved his hand to the brown liquid next to it, "Gravy!"

"Wait, you can do more with potatoes?" she asked as she slid a large chunk of meat to her tray. "Sure why the hell not?" he asked. She moved down, and he grabbed a ladle full of potatoes before slapping them down to her plate. He then dipped the ladle back in, and reached for the gravy spoon, not knowing that Savage grabbed the ladle herself and slapped down more potatoes for herself. When he turned, he watched her put the ladle back in and try to put more potatoes on her plate. He reached up, and stopped her, "That's enough of that!" he said. Savage frowned as she watched him pour gravy all over her new found food, "That's enough of that!" she repeated as he tried to go for anther spoon full. He quirked an eyebrow at her, confusion setting in as she reached past him to grab some boiled carrots.

Bolt chuckled as he watched her, happy that she finally let herself relax. "She can be kind of nice when she's not trying to shoot my head off!" he whispered to his wife. "I told her to let it go; now it's your turn!" Mittens warned. Bolt let his ears flop to his head, embarrassed about his words, "Sorry!" he said and used his nose to push his tray across the bar. "_Dumbass!_" Dark Bolt commented, getting Bolt to frown his eyebrows.

Savage moved through the tables as she followed Dustin to a seat, setting her full plate down to lift her legs and sit on the bench like her boyfriend did. "Are Bolt and Mittens joining us?" Savage asked as she looked around. "Nah, they're going to a table their size!" Dustin told her. "Oh!" Savage said and lifted her fork. "Don't start with the damn potatoes!" he told her. "I'll start my meal anyway I want to thank you very much!" she said to him and shoved a great big fork full into her mouth. "Tch, whatever!" he said and lifted a hot dog to his mouth. She noticed it full of things other than the meat, she saw both red and yellow liquids and green chunks at the bottom, little white squares mixed in with strings of a white soggy vegetable on the top with a large pickle slice just sitting on top of that. "I think you're hotdog is defective!" she said as she swallowed. "Huh?" he asked before he could take a bite, "Oh no I just piled it with condiments! It adds flavor!"

"What's a condiment?" she asked. Dustin pointed to each in turn, "Catsup, mustard, relish." he said and moved to the top, "Chopped onions, sauerkraut. I topped it with a pickle slice for my own little flare." Savage looked at him as if he were strange as he took a huge bite, he seemed to enjoy it though. "So!" he said as he set the hotdog down and chewed, "Still scared of Bolt?" Savage flinched in surprise, and looked down at her plate. "A little!" she admitted, "But I'm working on getting over my fear!"

"I can't believe I have to work with the guy!" a small brown male chipmunk said angrily. "Why is that? You both have the same problem!" a female lynx said. "What problem?" the chipmunk asked, and the lynx swallowed a large chunk of burrito, "You're both hotheaded!" she said and the animals around her began to laugh at the chipmunk's expense. Rhino rolled his ball past them, listening to their laughter as he held onto the stick of hamster food with his teeth. It had been some time now and thanks to his inventions, all forms of life in the base got along without any real incidents. He thought hard as he approached the table with Bolt and Mittens sitting at it. "What's up Rhino?" he heard Angelira's voice ask. He stopped his ball, and turned his head, spying her before motioning for her to join him at the table. She used her wings to lift him up, placing him next to his friends as they ate. He pulled his food out of his mouth, and turned to them, "I've been thinking!" he said gaining the attention of all three of them. "It's been three months and all we've seen of Nightmare has been empty streets and discarded skeletons." Bolt turned to the others, "That's been worrying me as well, just what's he doing, and why hasn't he made his move yet?" he said. "I'm more worried about the empty streets!" Rhino said, again catching Bolt's attention, "Why haven't we heard of anything? Where have those people gone?"

"He makes a good point!" they heard a familiar voce say. Mittens turned her head up with a bit of asparagus sticking out of her mouth, finding Holly looming over them. "That's a good look for you Mittens!" Holly said sarcastically. Mittens used her tongue to pull the vegetable into her mouth as she chewed and swallowed in irritation. "What do you mean?" Bolt asked as she chewed the last of the asparagus. "Those cities were never attacked by Dark Bolt, Why are they abandoned?" she asked. "_Feh!_" Dark Bolt scoffed, "_Nightmare's being way too quiet about his strikes. I mean come on! No one's going to be afraid of you if you don't make some kind of statement! Destroy a monument or blow up a bridge. DO SOMETHING!_" Bolt narrowed his eyes at his dark side's sense of achievement, "It's just too bad that the forensics' are having such a hard time with the remains we've recovered. I'd like to know just what those melted and shapeless bones were from!" Rhino said, and began thinking, "Maybe I could do some upgrades to the DNA tech!"

"No need!" they heard Ducker say. "Evening Lepnand!" Bolt said. "Hi Ducker!" Mittens responded. "I need you three in the Mission Room after you're done eating!" the leader said. "Sir?" Rhino asked. "Just be there!" Ducker said and turned from them. "I wonder what that was about?" Bolt asked.

Savage stood in front of the door to the Mission Room, the room they had built the O-TIP and the GET in, a sort of headquarters for the Tarnildrian solders. As of now it was closed. She took a deep breath, and twisted the knob, finding instead of the Tarnildrian Mission Room, a closet full of three brooms and a mop with bucket. "Huh?" she asked, and the area was quickly filled with light, "My apologies Mrs. Savage, I was not aware of your arrival!" the computer said, the voce was a man's vice, calm and peaceful with a slight British accent. "GAH!" she said and slammed the door shut. "I am aware that you and I have not been properly introduced, I am the Tarnildrian Artificial Intelligence Security Operating system, but you may call me TAISO." it said. "Uh, hello Taiso. Can I come in?" she asked. "Security system tutorial in progress!" Taiso said, "Please lean forward and place your eye in front of the hole in the wall near the door." Savage looked around the door frame, slowly finding the hole that Taiso was talking about. She leaned forward and waited for her next piece of advice. "Don't blink until after the scanner has completed its reading." the computer said, and the green light was swiped up and down her eye. Savage pulled back in surprise after it was done, and the wall next to her opened up instead, "Welcome to Tarnildra!" Taiso said, and she slowly entered in. Standing there was Dustin, Bolt, Mittens, Kelly and Ducker. The man with the long Felarian gun and his cheetah were unknown to her. "About &#%$ time!" Dustin said. "I see you've met TAISO!" Ducker said. Savage gently and nervously nodded, "Good, he's integrated throughout the building, except in the bathrooms and personal rooms." Ducker said, "Now to business! Our forensics team has identified the bones that were left behind!"

"What poor animals were devoured by Nightmare this time?" Mittens asked as she readied to give her silence. "They were all human!" Kelly informed them. Bolt and Mittens both looked to each other in shock, their mouths hanging open. "Oh shit!" Dustin said in surprise, "He eats humans now?" Dustin touched his throat with both of his hands, almost as if he could feel the death wrapping around him. Savage grabbed his arms with her own hands, "Don't do that!" she said, "On my planet it means you're ready to be killed." Dustin nodded, and looked to her in fear. "This brings Nightmare up to a whole new level!" Ducker said, "We don't know why he's absorbing humans, but we do know that he can't use them effectively!"

"Why is that?" Rhino asked. "Because the human body melts under his parasitic nature, the skin decomposes within hours and the bones become this!" Kelly told them, and touched her pad. The room went dark, and a hologram appeared, showing a pile of white half liquid with no form. "That's nasty." Bolt said, and Savage found herself agreeing with him. The hologram disappeared, and the lights turned back on, "Nightmare has been moved to level Trax, one of our highest priority threats." Kelly said. "_Heh, I guess that would make me even higher that that!_" Dark Bolt said, mostly to himself. Bolt refrained from rolling his eyes and listened instead to Ducker, "We also know he's moving relatively slow! Because of the bone's turning to mush he can't move when he's absorbing human tissue." the man said, "We need to find out what's going on, why he's turned to hunting and feeding on humans, and we need to stop him!" Bolt straightened up readying himself, "Bolt, Mittens, we're going to need you two on the field!" Ducker said. "Yes!" Bolt whispered to himself. Mittens smiled at her husband, rolling her eyes but grateful to finally be of some use. "I've got a few leads that Nightmare may be heading to a new location south of his last known location. "I'll need you two to be careful as you look for him. Try to stay elemental if you can, they're harder to posses than a physical body!"

"Yes sir!" Bolt said with Mittens repeating him. "Rhino, I'll need you on GET locations, the Senshol's we have are still learning the ins and outs of your work but you know them like the back of your paw! Angelira will be at your side to assist!" Ducker turned to the sniper, "Terrance!" he said, "Take your partner and get a bird's eye view of the area, I don't want any surprises so take the Hover Braker!" Terrance stood up from his leaning position as the cheetah stood up from her resting, "You can count on us!" he said, "Tasha and I are the best at spotting things from a good distance!"

"I'm sending a few bald eagles out with you two, think of them as trainees!" Ducker said. Terrance saluted him, and turned, Tasha following him closely, "Oh and Tasha?" Ducker asked causing the Cheetah to turn to him, "Try not to intimidate the newbies!" Tasha smiled with a chuckle, "No promises there!" she said, "But I have had my dinner already!" She turned again, following Terrance out of the door as it closed behind her tail. Ducker shook his head, "I think we can trust her sir!" Kelly said, "She hasn't had a relapse since her first mission with Terrance in the desert."

"Still, you never can tell with carnivores!" Ducker said, and turned to Mittens and Bolt, "You two had better get ready for your mission, it starts in one hour!" Bolt and Mittens both nodded, and turned away. Rhino rolled up to them in the hallway, "Wait!" he called out and Angelira flew up behind him with two very similar ear devices in her hand, "I rebuilt our communication sets, and I've uplinked them to the Tarnildrian computer mainframe!" he said as his girlfriend presented the devices to them. "Thanks Rhino!" Bolt said as Mittens examined hers. "They look just like the ones Penny had us use!" she said and let Angelira put it into her ear. Bolt slipped his own in, finding the familiar feel of the earpiece as it rested comfortably in his right ear, "I tried to get as close as possible to the original design." the hamster said, "It was tough but I think they'll work for our mission." Bolt and Mittens both turned to each other, happy that they finally get to go out and do something, with very familiar equipment, "Just like old times, eh Bolt?" she asked. "Oh yah!" he said, and turned to run to their room. Mittens smiled at the return of his playful side, and used her lightning claws to chase after him. "It's nice to see them happy again." Rhino said, "I think being cooped up in this little place was beginning to give them both cabin fever!"

**End Chapter 2**


	3. Chapter 3 Death

**Chapter 3 – Death**

"What is up with this place?" Terrance asked as he used his scope to look around. The scope of his lobster shelled sniper rifle was layered just like a lobster's tail, colored the same shade of green as the dark needles of a pine tree. At certain places, a lighter green could be seen, almost as if the shell were trying to mimic a camouflage pattern. "It looks like it's a ghost town!" Tasha said as she let him rest the bottom of the gun on her leather armored back. She had what looked to be a camouflaged cheetah vest with ammunition pockets and a leather back plate, like a kind of saddle. "Yah, I never thought I'd see a major city in this kind of state!" Terrance said and he pulled his eye away from the scope. One of the eagles came swooping in, a nervous look in his eyes. "Sorry!" he said, his voice high and jittery, "I couldn't see him!" Tasha scoffed and turned around, "Where's your partner?" she asked, and heard the distinct sound of wings, flapping hard. She turned around, and reached her paw out, snagging the other eagle as it flew by. "I…I found Nightmare!" she said, her voice high and shocked as she took deep breaths. "Where?" Tasha asked as she let her voice turn dark, "Over there! He's a large pile of that bone muck we found!" the eagle said. Tasha set the bird down, and lifted up, "I think he also saw me!" the eagle said quickly. "WHAT?" Tasha asked as she turned back to the eagle. A large shadow lifted up, covering them from the sun's light. Tasha, Terrance and the two eagles turned to find what it was, a large wave of the white goop and the skull face of Nightmare. "RUN!" Terrance called out, and the four of them turned, the two birds taking flight, with Terrance and Tasha running to the far end of the building. "JUMP!" he called out as they neared the edge of the building. The two of them leapt from the building as the wave came down, Terrance grabbing Tasha's vest as they both left the building. "Tuck and Roll!" he shouted as they saw the edge of the next building almost ten feed below them. Nightmare tucked his head back in to the muck he was made from, and popped it out of the back, pulling it from back to front as he crawled around like nothing anyone had ever seen. Tasha tucked her head down as she landed on her front paws, curling her tail and back legs over herself to roll while Terrance landed on his feet to do the same thing. The roll saved them as they landed, taking very little damage to their bodies.

"GET THAT ESCAPE LINE DEPLOLOYED!" Tasha shouted. Terrance knelt down, sliding to the edge of the building on his knees while spinning the barrel of his gun around. He quickly brought the scope to his eye and pulled the trigger, launching a thin line of what looked to be spider web out towards a building almost a block away. "Time to hook up!" he said as he pressed the end of the barrel to the edge of the building he was on. He grabbed Tasha and reached under her belly, revealing four large straps with three clasps and a ring on them. He quickly snapped all three clasps to the ring, and hooked the ring to the line. He pushed Tasha off of the roof, sending her down the line first as he revealed his own straps. Nightmare lifted up, finding the second roof quickly and reaching his body for the human. Terrance lunged forward and slid down the line, just as the goop reached for where he once was. Nightmare once again pulled his head back in before bringing it back out at the rear, and folding himself over to advance. "Son of a bitch!" Terrance shouted as he reached the roof of the building he shot. He quickly unclasped Tasha, leaving the straps together as he reached up to unclasp himself. He and Tasha both looked up as they watched Nightmare continue his journey, "Holy shit!" Tasha said. "You said it Tash!" was all he said as the two of them turned to run.

Nightmare let off a loud screech of a roar as he folded himself over the building, following them at alarming speeds, "Damn!" Terrance said and lifted his watch, "Hey we need an evac right away!" he shouted. "The closest evac point is about three blocks west of your position! Rhino's still working on more satellites to launch but until then we only have the three to work with!" he heard a female voice say from the other end. "Great! Tell me if it gets closer!" he said. "Roger that!" the Senshol said. Again, Terrance made a beeline for the edge, turning to his watch for a direction. He lifted his rifle again, pointing it towards the building he needed, aiming near the bottom. When he fired it off, a string of the steel like thread shot out, sticking to the base near the first floor window. He then turned around, finding a roof access door, and firing again, sticking the string above it. "Here we go again Tasha!" he said as he grabbed the ring and hooked it back up to the line. With a small push, he sent her down to the ground as she said, "I hate doing thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii…" Terrance quickly grabbed his own clip, and heard over his watch, "I…I can't get a reading in him!" the Senshol said, "It's like his energy signature is everywhere!"

"Just great!" he said, and found himself covered in shadows. Terrance turned, finding himself underneath the massive Nightmare as the beast towered over him, a smile stretching from ear to ear. He turned away and ran forward as quickly as he could, leaping off of the edge of the building just as Nightmare splashed down over the side. He quickly felt the line get tugged, "Oh snap!" Terrance said, just as the line snapped, sending him down with it. "TERRANCE!" Tasha shouted, as the human feel. With quick thinking, Terrance pointed his gun again, and fired, letting the line hit the top of the building and tighten in the barrel. "OH CRAAAAAAAAAAAA…" he called out as he almost hit the ground. Tasha raced to be in front of him, and jumped up, grabbing him in her front paws before he could hit the ground. The two of them toppled over, Tasha hitting her back on the ground as Terrance quickly rolled off of her. "You ok Tash?" he asked as she rolled back onto her four paws. "Yah!" she said as she shook off the pain. Terrance looked back up, spying Nightmare as the beast poured himself down the building, "Damnit!" the human said and knelt down, "Tasha I need to steady!" he told her, and again turned the barrel of his gun. She gulped, and came in close, letting him set the rifle on her back, "I hope you know what you're doing!" she said. "So do I!" he responded. He waited, watching as Nightmare let himself collect at the ground of the building, and melt back into the back of his blob. "Come on!" he whispered to himself as he waited. Nightmare lifted up again, curling himself over his liquid body as he left a bit of it behind, "Come on!" Terrance said again. Tasha turned to him with a nervous look as he waited, aiming carefully. Nightmare towered as high as he could screaming out like a banshee as he came to the crest. "Pow!" Terrance said, and pulled the trigger. The bone shard sailed through the air, punching right through the neck of Nightmare, causing it to explode and send the skull sailing through the air to who knows where.

The muck that made up his body came spilling down, covering them in a thick black shadow. Terrance grabbed Tasha by her vest, "RUN DAMNIT!" he said and hopped up on her back. Tasha took off as quickly as she could, Terrance using his feet to press against the pockets and lift himself up, keeping himself off of her back. The muck came down again, spilling to the ground just as Tasha exited the range. She came to a skidding stop as she turned around, letting Terrance quickly get off of her back. They watched the muck, waiting for Nightmare to spring to life out of the muck again. He never did. The two of them relaxed after a while, breathing that sigh of relief they needed so desperately. "He certainly lived up to his name!" Tasha said. "How's that?" Terrance asked. "He's now the greatest nightmare any living thing has, he's become a living death."

Terrance nodded, turning back to the muck he knew was human bone, watching it as it simply sat there. "YOU'RE ALRIGHT!" they heard two voices said. They both turned up, looking to the two eagles as they soared down to meet them. "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU TWO DOING WHILE TERRANCE AND I RAN FOR OUR LIVES?" Tasha screamed as she pressed her nose to the boy's beak, anger in her eyes as she glared at them both. The two eagles gulped in nervousness, and were quickly saved by Terrance, "Remember Tasha, they're trainees, and Penenia to boot. What more could they have done?" he asked. Tasha backed away from them, sniffing in anger before making her way to the teleportation point. Terrance knelt down, glaring at the two eagles in anger. "Listen you two, I don't want Tasha to kill you, but if you ever leave your team and hide again, I'll let her eat you for dinner." he growled. The two of them gulped and looked to him in fear, "Your team is your family, and you do everything you can for your family. Next time someone needs help that you can't give, go get someone who **can** give it!" he told them and stood up, letting them follow behind slowly. "What was that about?" Tasha asked. "Nothing, just giving them a few pointers!" Terrance said as he patted her on the head, "Let's get going!"

"Um, shouldn't we look for Nightmare's head?" the girl eagle asked. "You two can stay, or we can get a cleanup team to do it! Me, I'm not touching that thing with a ten foot pole!" Terrance told her. "After seeing what happened to my brother at the zoo, I'd rather not go near him while he's dormant either!" Tasha said, and the four of them vanished, traveling back to Tarnildra.

Deep in the city, the human skull mask of Nightmare lay on the ground surrounded by trash and insects. The bugs wouldn't go near it, staying as far away as they could after it landed. A single rat scampered into the alley, unaware of the danger until he made his way to the top of a large black bag. The mask jumped off of the skull, wrapping itself around the rat and choking it to death, merging to its body around its face before causing the rat to grow in size and darken to midnight black. The eyes opened, shining as a bright red light emanating from behind the mask. "That was unexpected!" Nightmare said, "Luckily I know exactly what I want to do with all of this wonderful energy!"

**End Chapter 3**


	4. Chapter 4 Forgiveness

**Chapter 4 – Forgiveness**

"Wait, you what?" Ducker asked calmly as Terrance told him what had happened. "Look, I'm not an idiot!" Terrance said, "If I grab that skull or even go near it, I'm a dead man!"

"I realize that!" Ducker said, "And I commend you on your efforts, but what gave you the idea that shooting his head off was at all a good idea?"

"It was either that or let him eat us alive while your new Senshols figured out how to recall a teleport." Terrance said. "They were ill prepared for this emergency sir!" Kelly said to him. She wore a similar outfit to the Senshols, but hers was colored light blue and had a badge on the left lapel shaped like a star. "Thank you Ms. Nortlund I was aware of that." Ducker said. "Then you can't really condone him for his decision, it kept him and his partner alive. Isn't that the most important part?" she said. Ducker fell silent as he looked to her, his mouth opening and closing as if to try and find an answer, "You may go!" he told Terrance. The human walked right by his superior, making his way to the door, "Oh and congratulations…" Ducker said as he turned around, facing the back of Terrance's head, "…on acquiring your personal goal!" Terrance smiled as he began walking again, meeting up with his cheetah in the hall, "So, how'd it go?" Tasha asked, her vest had been removed and stashed somewhere. "Great, and just for the record, I'd like to see Nightmare's head go flying again someday." he told her. Tasha smiled, chuckling as they walked away, "It was like a dream come true." she said.

Bolt and Mittens made their way through the streets, searching for traces of the skull or even a hint of something to lead them to Nightmare. Every once in a while, Bolt would jump up and down, moving side to side as if he were playing a game of tag with an invisible friend, "Oh, I needed this!" he finally said in a sigh. "You and me both!" Mittens said. "Don't get me wrong, the training room was fine, but there's nothing like the outside world!" Bolt told her. Mittens chuckled at his response, though she had to admit, he was right. They both had needed to get out of the HQ. "Smell that air!" Bolt said and took a large whiff before chocking on the foul smell. "ULGH!" he groaned, "What is that?" Bolt and Mittens turned the corner, finding a pail of garbage, and a single human skull that had flattened like a puddle of mush. "Uh, oh!" Mittens said as the two of them looked over the human mess of bone, "Looks like Nightmare found a new host!"

"Yah!" Bolt said as he nudged the liquid bone with his paw, "But of what? He's already devoured the whole city!"

"No Bolt, he's devoured the people in the city, not the animals!" Mittens said as she watched a few rats rip open a bag of garbage. "A rat?" Bolt said, "He's masked a rat?" Mittens nodded to him, "Yah. I think so." she said, "What kind of powers do rats give him?" Bolt simply shrugged his shoulders.

Deep under the city, roaming the sewers, Nightmare stormed off, searching for something he wanted. With a growl, he turned his head, "Which way was it?" he asked himself, and used his tail to snatch up another rat from the ground, "I may not use much energy with a single host body, but that doesn't mean I'll just waist my energy!" he told the rat as his tail put it in front of him, and he opened his mouth, tossing the helpless creature into his throat. He gulped hard, swallowing the rat whole. Suddenly he cringed, and turned to his side. The flesh warped in one spot as his bones separated, allowing something else to emerge. From his side, the rat he had just swallowed emerged, the flesh pulled from its body, and the bone surrounding the grey muck that accompanied it. Down came the strange creature, flopping to the ground before looking to him, as if asking for instructions. "What are you?" he asked, "More pray for me to eat?" Without a sound, the new creature took off; snatching the nearest rat he could find and dragging it back to Nightmare. It didn't look proud; it wasn't waiting for anything other than the beast to take the prize. Nightmare looked to the creature in surprise, and gently took the other rat from it, holding the squirming animal high above his moth before dropping it and swallowing again. Just like before, another creature identical to the first was born from his side. "Hmmm…" Nightmare thought, and turned to the two of them. "Back flip!" he said. The two creatures jumped into the air, tucking their skulled heads behind themselves and tumbling in mid air before landing on their feet. One could almost see the smile on Nightmare's skull face, "Minions!" he said to himself, "This body discards the parts of a creature I don't need and puts necromancy into it, I control the corpse." He placed a clawed hand to his chin, thinking until he found a plan, "Get me more pray, as many as you can find!" he said, and the two of them ran off, quickly grabbing rats by either the tail or the neck and dragging them to him. He quickly swallowed them and produced more minions, "Go help your brothers!" he ordered, and the two new ones ran off to help find more rats. "I'll make a small army, and find that secret lab before I put my master plan into effect!" he said, and his two red eyes began to shine with malice, "I think I'll keep the rat as well, just for the whole minion ability!"

Bolt and Mittens reappeared in Tarnildra, both of them hanging their heads, "I hate clean up duty!" Bolt said as he let his ears plaster themselves against his head. "Just be glad we got out of the base!" Mittens said, "The fresh air was great, and the sun did wonders for my fur."

"I'll say!" Bolt said smoothly as his ears lifted back up, "You look like you're glowing!" Mittens blushed under her fur, "Thanks Bolt, that's sweet!"

"No time for that dumbasses!" they heard Dustin say, and turned an angry glare to him. Dustin simply ignored the look, and kept on speaking, "We just got an alert in several different areas at once, it looks like animal reserves and zoos have been raided of several animals!"

"Animals?" Bolt asked, "You mean he's done with humans?"

"Who cares?" Dustin asked, "Just get down there and get to the bottom of this, Ducker wants to know what Nightmare's thinking!"

"HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO FIGURE THAT OUT?" Bolt asked angrily. "Hey, I'm just handing out orders, jackass! The O-TIP is prepped and ready for you!" Dustin said, and turned to leave. Bolt sighed in frustration, "I'm beginning to hate that guy!" he said. "I'm already there!" Mittens said under hear breath as the two of them made their way to the platform. He looked up just in time, to see a familiar face, one with a look of confusion and curly brown hair that draped all over her head. "Hold on one second." Bolt said, and moved closer to her. She knelt down to him as he neared, reaching her hand out to pet him, "I'm really sorry!" he whispered to her as she gently rubbed the top of his head with her palm. "For what?" she asked. "For hurting you, for taking your memory, for…" he continued, and paused, not sure of what to say next, "…everything!" She leaned in further, wrapping her arms around him and dragging him closer to her, embracing him in a welcoming hug. "For what' it's worth, and whatever it is, I forgive you Bolt!" she said, and released him from her embrace. At first he was surprised, but slowly he broke into a smile, feeling the weight from the sin vanish.

Inside his mind Dark Bolt smiled evilly. Suddenly he heard something groan, like metal being stretched, and his smile got bigger. The top chain on the pile snapped, a decent sized one with thick links. The center link just broke and both halves fell to the floor around him, before shattering on the ground and disappearing. "Yes Bolt!" he said under his breath, "Keep apologizing! The lighter you're conscience feels, the closer I get to freedom!"

When Bolt and Mittens appeared, the Zoo was barren, walls were chewed through and animals were either missing or in a bloody mess on the ground. "Oh gosh!" Mittens said as she tried to hold back the urge to hurl her lunch. Bolt looked around, trying his best to hold the same feeling in, "How could this have happened in such a short time?" he asked, "From the report on Tasha's zoo, it took several hours for Nightmare to do even half of the damage this place has!" Mittens gulped down the bile in her throat, and walked up to her husband, "He also devoured everything he touched, why are there some carcasses?" she asked. "I don't know!" Bolt said, "But we'll need to keep looking around if we're to find out." Mittens slowly nodded, and walked as close to him as she could, turning her head from the dead ostrich in front of her.

The search proceeded smoothly, except for not finding any clues, "I just don't get it!" Bolt said as he looked into what used to be an elephant pen, "What happened here? It's like something chewed through just about anything that was in their way or trying to escape!" Mittens turned her head again as she looked into another pen, finding a half eaten giraffe lying next to something else. She couldn't hold it, she turned and threw up right on the spot catching Bolt's worried attention. "I'm ok!" Mittens said as she tried to catch her breath. "Wait!" Bolt said as he looked up from her. She turned back to the mess of flesh, and found the head moving, almost like it was being lifted up by something. "Oh, my!" she called out, and pointed to the door, "Break it down!"

"What if it's what ever did this?" he asked cautiously. "Then we'll stop it, but I'm pretty sure I know what it is, now break it down!" she ordered. Bolt turned to the door, and opened his eyes wide, letting the streams of green heat cut through the edges of the door. When he was finished, he pushed hard, toppling the new opening to the ground. Mittens wasted no time, she darted out into the pen as quickly as she could, and now Bolt could hear it, the silent whimpering of a familiar cry, the cry of a baby animal. "Oh man!" Bolt whispered to himself as he made his way over to his wife. There they both found a small baby giraffe, curled up as best as it could get. It opened its eyes when it sensed their approached, and seemed to try to curl further into the dead giraffe. "Nightmare!" Bolt said as he growled to himself, "I'm gonna make you pay for this!"

**End of Chapter 4**


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